Venture Leaders Biotech scale new heights in Boston

21.05.2024 10:30, Rita Longobardi

Fresh off a successful week in Boston, the ten innovative startups selected for Venture Leaders Biotech 2024 are boosted for the next steps of their entrepreneurial journey. During their business development and investor roadshow, these Swiss Biotech leaders built connections with several investors, industry partners and gained crucial market exposure, driving their ventures towards global success.

Selected from over 70 applications by a jury of investors and experts, the ten Biotech startups joined the 19th edition of business development and investor roadshow in Boston, one of the world's most important life science hubs. From May 13 to May 17, the roadshow connected the participants with international investors and industry leaders, accelerating their ventures' expansion in the US.

The week started with a session at Swissnex Boston, for an introduction to the Boston biotech ecosystem. The team continued with a tour of Bayer Co.Lab's facilities, led by Senior Director Alberto Nobili and his colleagues. It offered an in-depth look at Bayer's Cell and Gene Therapy incubator, witnessing firsthand how promising startups are developed into successful companies.

The afternoon was dedicated to the expert-investor feedback session, a 2 hours intense session where startups interact with Boston-based investors and experts and benefit from direct feedback on their pitch.

The day concluded with a reception at the residence of the Swiss Consul, providing a networking opportunity in a more informal setting. This blend of expert guidance and industry exposure set a promising tone for the intense and productive week ahead.

On Tuesday, the entrepreneurs visited Biognosys, a Venture Leaders alumni in 2009, which went on to be nominated in the TOP 100 Swiss Startups for three years straight from 2010 to 2012 and was acquired by Bruker in 2018. The new generation benefited from their learning on growing in the US market and the lessons of growth.

The day concluded with the Biotech Pitch Fest at Swissnex, where Swiss startups pitched to the 100+ audience from the Boston Biotech scene. David Roura Padrosa, Co-Founder and CEO of inSEIT, and Gabriel Liguori, Co-Founder and CEO of TissueLabs, made it to the final. Gabriel won, receiving a three-month stint at the Swissnex residency to connect with partners and gain a deeper understanding of the US market.

The agenda continued with visits to Vida Ventures, RA Capital headquarters, and an FDA regulation session on Wednesday, and ended with a flourish with a lobster dinner. Thursday was dedicated to a panel with Wyss Institute and global investment bank Locust walk.

"The program is giving us direct access to the vibrant biotech community in Boston and thanks to Venturelab and Swissnex we met with potential partners, stakeholders, and investors and gained a better understanding of the US market," commented David Pejoski, Co-Founder and CEO of Adoram Therapeutics.

The roadshow concluded with a fascinating fireside chat with George Arnold from Knightsbridge Advisers who shared invaluable insights on the Venture Capital scene, and a final pitch at 5AM Ventures.

Venture Leaders Biotech is organized by Venturelab in partnership with Swissnex in Boston and New York and supported by Debiopharm, EPFL, ETH Zürich, Hansjörg Wyss, Kellerhals Carrard, Novartis, Swissnex Biotech Association, and VISCHER.

Learn more about the Venture Leaders Biotech 2024 startups below:

Adoram Therapeutics SA: Multi-asset pre-clinical stage Biotech startup

Adoram Therapeutics is a spin-off from the University of Geneva, discovering next generation small molecule therapies for cancer and inflammation based around GPCR drug targets, the largest class of r... Read more

Allegria Therapeutics AG: Therapeutics that modulate mast cell activity

Allegria Therapeutics is a Basel-based biopharma startup established in 2023 with a commitment to build a differentiated portfolio of therapeutic approaches around biological targets that modulate mas... Read more

EVIIVE AG: Next-generation liquid biopsy solutions.

Our startup specializes in the cutting-edge field of extracellular vesicle (EV) biomarker discovery, utilizing single EV analysis and machine learning to revolutionize precision medicine. We provide a... Read more

inSEIT AG: Enzyme immobilization for green industrial production

inSEIT (integral Service for Enzyme Immobilization Technologies) offers services focused on the screening, application and scaling up of enzyme immobilization to ensure the practical implementation in... Read more

KYLYS AESTHETICS SA: Revolutionizing Skin Filling Science

KYLYS AESTHETICS offers a biocompatible hyaluronan-based and thermosensitive dermal filler that has the ability to form microgel structures in the tissue, resulting in a long-lasting effect and no mig... Read more

OBaris AG: Providing a painless alternative to injectable drugs.

Our unique platform aims at shifting the current paradigm from injectables to a simple, non-invasive formulation that enables safe and efficacious delivery of a variety of macromolecular drugs across ... Read more

Shape Biopharmaceuticals AG: A new class of immunotherapies based on nanoparticles.

At Shape, we're pioneering a breakthrough in healthcare with proprietary engineered SHAPEnano particles, leveraging the immune system of patients to produce therapeutic antibodies directly inside thei... Read more

TissueLabs SA: The platform for creating organs and tissues in the lab.

TissueLabs is dedicated to building the platform for creating organs and tissues in the lab. We provide biomaterials, equipment, and services to support tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. O... Read more

Well Science AG: Natural immune support against allergic rhinitis

Founded in Freienbach, Switzerland in 2022, with support from the Nestlé R&D accelerator and the Swiss incubator firm Stryber, Well Science AG is on a mission to develop innovations to change the cour... Read more

Ymmunobio AG: First in class oncology drugs for unmet need

Ymmunobio has identified a new tumor marker with superior properties: 1. It is present in at least 13 solid tumors 2. It has a prevalence of up to 98% in cancer patients 3. It is not expressed by n... Read more